Our corporate sponsors

We are delighted to be partnering with Optimum Chauffeur Drive and to be helping them and their clients with their sustainability goals.

They are passionate about making a sustainable future a reality and as a car service organisation, they are acutely aware of their responsibility to the environment. Their corporate social responsibility policy focuses on the reduction of emissions from their vehicles and offsetting their carbon footprint. They have teamed up with us to plant trees and other natural and wildlife habitat in local schools and other locations around Ireland.

Did you know, Ireland actually emits around 65 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, on average 12 tonnes per person. This is the third highest per capita rate in Europe after Estonia & Luxembourg. We can mitigate some of this by planting trees and other natural habitat, this is something that we can all work towards reducing.

A growing number of organizations, cities, and even entire countries are talking about becoming carbon neutral. Many such plans are likely to have one thing in common – the presence of a carbon offsetting.

In the bid to be carbon neutral, offsetting can play a valuable role. But what is it and how does it work?

You can calculate your carbon footprint by analysing how your activities generate CO2. Everything from lighting and heating to the data centres that host your business software, right through to the ink and paper for your printers and of course, your business travel. It all adds up.

The more you can do to reduce your carbon footprint the better, obviously. But there will almost certainly be a point where you’ve done all you can but are still leaving a mark. If you work in a large office building, for example, it’s unlikely you’ll have any say over who provides the electricity.

FORESTS AND CARBON SEQUESTRATION
Forests can sequester between 0.8 and 10 tons of carbon per hectare per year depending on the tree species composition. As a rule, deciduous trees, like oak, are generally better at storing carbon than their coniferous counterparts because their wood is denser — but there are exceptions to this. Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine, and Redwoods stand out amongst evergreens, and other species like London Plane, Teak, and Eucalyptus have also proven their capabilities. When planting, careful balancing of ecological integrity and carbon sequestration capability is essential to ensure the success of the project — and the effectiveness of your offsets.

So all we need to do is plant more trees, right? Unfortunately it isn’t that simple. While reforestation is an essential part of an effective climate change mitigation strategy, it’s important to note that on its own, planting trees alone won’t fix the climate crisis.

Equally as important is forest conservation, reducing our emissions, and prioritizing planetary health. It's all interconnected, and we should be taking all of these actions to reduce our collective global greenhouse gas emissions.

Because of the many factors that go into planting trees for carbon reduction, it’s important to work with reputable organizations to ensure that your dollars don’t go to waste. Want to start helping the planet? Consider planting trees with us today!

PLANTING TREES HELPS TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
If you’ve been paying attention to the climate crisis, you’re probably aware that humans are at least partially responsible — and that we release massive amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other Green House Gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere every year - around 40 billion tons. So what can you do to address your impact and flatten the carbon curve? You can begin by bringing more attention to your lifestyle and habits — and how much CO2 those activities release as a result.

We were very lucky to have Farmhand as one of our first sponsors for our Junior Gardeners program. 

Farmhand are one of the major importers and distributors of farm machinery in Ireland.   Farmhand employs 49 members of staff in Damastown, Dublin 15 and operates from a purpose-built premises with a state-of-the-art workshop and a parts warehouse covering 1400m². Building works to be completed by the end of 2021 will see the total parts warehouse extending to 2,500m² and the addition of 900m² covered machinery storage. Farmhand’s main company goal has always been to supply Ireland’s farmers and contractors with the very best agricultural equipment at a fair price with a first class back up service.

Farmhand help with our class activity, where we essentially try to show children where their food comes from.   'Graham the Gardener' comes and visits the school, and takes classes in group, and brings everything you need to plant a seed and watch it grow (usually beans).   The children get their own plant pot with their name on it and watch it grow on the class window sill, giving it light and some water.   At the end, the children are presented with a certificate as 'qualified junior gardeners'.

Thanks to the assistance from Farmhand, we have been able to expand our program into schools around Cork, and eventually hope to further expand our Junior Gardeners program.